Maternity garment



Filed Dec. 8, 1955 FIG.1

IN V EN TOR.

Jeanne Kaye BY ATTORNEY United States Patent ()1 2,867,817 Patented Jan. 13, 1959 ice MATERNITY GARMENT Jeanne Kaye, New York, N. Y.

Application December 8, 1955, Serial No. 551,828

1 Claim. (Cl. 2--211) This invention relates to maternity garments and, more particularly, to a maternity garment incorporating improved girth expansion means and neckline maintaining means.

The skirt portions of many maternity garments are now made with a semi-circular or semi-oval cut-out or recess extending downwardly from the belt or waist line. Tie strings are provided at each of the upper ends of the recess or cut out so that the width of the opening, at its upper edge, may be adjusted to accommodate expansion of the figure during progression of the pregnancy.

This particular construction generally works very well in accommodating, in a comfortable manner, the normal expansion of the figure during pregnancy. However, it has been found that the lower curved margin of the recess tends to exert a restricting effect during the latter part of the pregnancy period, due to its inability to expand or lengthen beyond a set limit.

In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that the effectiveness of the aforementioned cut out, in comfortably accommodating expansion of the abdomen, can be greatly increased by providing one or more gussets extending outwardly from the recess and provided with suitable fastening means whereby the gussets may be closed initially and opened as the figure expands.

An objectionable feature of maternity garments is that the blouse portion, due to distortion of the figure as the pregnancy advances, tends to ride up relatively to the bosom. This makes it impossible to maintain the neckline in its usual relation to the throat and to the bosom.

In further accordance with the present invention, such riding up is prevented, and the neckline maintained at a desired position, by novel means. This novel means comprises a relatively elongated tape or strap secured to the neckline of the blouse at substantially the center of the blouse front to depend or hang down inside the blouse. This tape is arranged to be drawn around the narrow, cup-joining portion of a brassiere and is provided with a plurality of cooperable fastening means whereby the portion of the tape looped around the brassiere may be adjustably secured to the portion of the tape fixed to the neckline of the blouse. Thus, the blouse neckline is held in adjustably fixed relation to the brassiere to maintain a fixed neckline.

For an understanding of the invention principle, reference is made to the following description to a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat pictorial elevation illustrating the invention garment;

Figs. 2 and 3 are partial front elevation views of the skirt portion of the garment, illustrating the expansion gusset in the closed and expanded positions, respectively;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the brassiere engaging tape;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the tape in operative position; and

Fig. 6 is an inside perspective view of the tape as looped around a brassiere.

Referring to the drawing, the invention is illustrated as incorporated in a maternity garment 10 comprising a skirt portion 20 and a blouse portion 30. Skirt por= tion 20 is illustrated as of the type having a semi-circw lar or semi-oval recess or cut out 15 extending downwardly from the upper hem line 21 and having a hemmed border 16. Tie strings 17 extend from each of the upper corners of the recess or cut out so that the extent of the latter can be readily adjusted to accommodate changes in the figure.

As previously stated, the hemmed border 16 of cut out 15 exerts a limiting constructive effect when the cut out is expanded in its fullest extent. In accordance with the present invention, increased expansion of cut out 15 is provided by a V-shape notch 22 extending downwardly from the cut out and closed by a gusset 25. While one notch and gusset are shown by way of example, more than one of each may be provided in operative association with recess 15.

Gussett 25 is formed of any suitable material, and interengageable fastening means, such as snap fasteners, hooks and eyes, buttons and button holes, or slide fasteners are provided along each side of notch 22, preferably adjacent the upper ends of the notch. Hook and eye fasteners 26 are illustrated by way of example, and are preferably on the inner surface of the skirt portion.

In the initial stages of pregnancy, gusset 25 is closed, as illustrated in Fig. 2. As the abdomen increases in girth so that all of the expansion provided by recess 15 is utilize-d, gusset 25 is opened or expanded as in Fig. 3. However, the gusset may be expanded, if desired, before the expansion of recess 15 is fully utilized.

Referring to Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6, a relatively elongated tape 35 is secured to the inside of the neck line 31, adjacent the center of the front, by suitable means such as stitching 32. Tape 35 depends within the blouse, and is adapted to be looped beneath the narrow, cup-joining portion 41 of brassiere 40. A fastener 36 is secured to tape 35 adjacent its fixed end for cooperation with any one of several fasteners 37 secured in spaced relation along the free end of tape 35. Thereby, the neckline 31 of blouse 30 may be adjustably fixed relative to brassiere 40 and thus held from riding up as the figure changes. Fasteners 36 and 27 are illustrated as snap fasteners, but may be hook and eye fasteners or any other type of fastener.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

In a maternity garment a skirt portion having an upper hem line interrupted by a relatively wide cut out extending downwardly therefrom at the front center of the skirt and having an upwardly concave lower margin; at least one V-shape notch extending generally downwardly from the lower margin of said cut out; a gusset secured across said notch; and interengageable fastener means on the sides of said notch, whereby said notch may be contracted or expanded within the extent of said gusset to accommodate, in cooperation with said recess, in creases in the girth of the abdomen.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,428,175 Norton Sept. 30, 1947 2,544,386 Jacobs et a1. Mar. 6, 1951 2,591,513 Cormier Apr. 1, 1952 2,661,475 Auslender Dec. 8, 1953 2,661,477 Gilbertson Dec. 8, 1953 2,668,293 Levy Feb. 9, 1954 2,709,262 Jacobs et a1 May 31, 1955 

